Land of Enchantment
by Lenora
Summary: Loki has been rescued from the abyss. Time for him to get to know his merry band of rescuers...Third in the 'Shakespeare in the Park' series


A/N: Yeah I know, it's been forever guys. I have an explanation for you at the end of the story. But for now, just enjoy the third entry into the 'Shakespeare in the Park' series.

Last Time:

_The humans watched as the little family reunited right in front of them. None of them could understand the language they were speaking, but it was heartwarming to watch. After a while, Modi wandered over to where Darcy, Jane, and Bruce were standing. He snuggled into the young woman he had grown close to and smirked as his father grabbed his mother by the waist, picked him up, latched onto his lips and stalked away._

_Everyone watched with wide eyes as the two Asgardians disappeared into Thor and Modi's RV that SHIELD had given them to live in during the search for Loki. Tony turned to the others. "So…Izzy's?"_

**Land of Enchantment**

Over twenty-four hours after Loki and his husband Thor disappeared into their SHIELD issued RV; Loki finally emerged to the dawn. He yawned and stretched as he walked towards the desert, looking wildly out of place in his SHIELD sweats and hoodie. He walked just far enough away from the base camp so that he could meditate, folding himself into a lotus position as he faced the rising sun.

Almost immediately, two snakes slithered from under a rock and in his direction. Loki smiled faintly at the sight, knowing that no serpent on Midgard would dare harm him lest they incur the wrath of Loki's second son. He murmured his greetings to them as he gently stroked their scales, enjoying the way they fought for his attention in the weak light.

"You shouldn't touch them," interrupted the even voice of Agent Coulson, startling both the god and the snakes. "They're poisonous." He ignored the way that one of the snakes slithered over to him and started winding up his leg as he walked closer to the god and surprisingly plopped down next to Loki. He pulled the snake off his leg and began petting it as the rattlesnake curled up on his leg to soak up both the warmth of the human and the sun.

Loki just raised an eyebrow at that before turning back to the insistent nudges from the snake he was petting. "They won't hurt me. Not only because their venom has no effect on Asgardian or Jotun physiology, but also because my son is what you would call the king of snakes. None would dare bite me or mine in fear of incurring his wrath." The men and snakes sat there in silence for around an hour before Loki spoke again. "Are you aware…that one of your parents is not human?" he asked delicately.

"Just for the record, worst way to ask that question…ever!" Clint piped up from behind them, startling Loki. Coulson didn't even react to the sniper's presence as the blonde walked up behind them and practically plastered himself to Coulson's back, kissing the agent's cheek.

"I am," Phil said quietly. "I always knew that I was different as a child. Snakes were attracted to me, as if I were a magnet for them. That was easy enough to explain away, but not the fact that I understand them. Every hiss that escapes these guys makes sense to me. For example, the one you're petting wishes that you would scratch about an inch lower, there's a patch of scales that remain from his last shed skin and they're itchy." Loki smiled; he could understand the snake just fine and had been planning on paying special attention to that spot anyway. "But the kicker," Phil said, continuing where he had left off, "was when I realized that I wasn't aging." He looked over at Loki with something close to pain in his eyes. "I was born in 1946, Loki. I should look 69, not my mid-forties."

Loki was lost in thought about Coulson's situation when something caught his eye in the desert. A large serpent was making its way towards the group and Loki was 99 percent sure that it _wasn't_ native to New Mexico.

Clint followed Loki's gaze and he paled. In the years that he had spent near Phil Coulson, snakes had become commonplace. The man really _did_ attract them like a magnet, but there was really no reason for an anaconda to be traveling through the New Mexico desert.

"Clint, call the nearest zoos and wildlife preserves and find out if any are missing an anaconda," Phil instructed calmly, pulling his hand back as the rattlesnake quickly slithered away from the larger snake. "Do it," he insisted, "but do it back in the trailer. You don't want to be here when it gets here. Go!" he snapped when it became clear that Clint wasn't willing to leave him behind.

Clint quickly jumped up and backed away from the two and when he reached the trailer steps, he paused just look enough to look over his shoulder before making his way inside.

As a result, he missed when the anaconda stopped in front of the sitting men and bowed. "Greetings to you Lord Loki, father of serpents." It looked over at Phil. "Greetings to you, Prince of Serpents."

Phil blinked. "My name is Phil," he said automatically. "Wait, _Prince of Serpents?_"

Loki looked over at Phil and his gaze narrowed on the man. _That explains it_, he thought. He could feel his son's magic living within this man. "What was your father's name?" he asked.

Phil thought back to when he was a young child, back when his father visited fairly regularly. "Jordan," he said finally. "Jordan Gander. Mother told me that I was a war baby and that my father had to return home to Norway after the war was over, so they chose not to marry. It's why I was given my mother's surname rather than his."

Loki smiled when he heard the name. "Jordan Gander," he mused. "Jormungander. You are my grandchild. My first banished child is your father."

Phil looked confused. "Your _first_ banished child?"

Loki looked sad. "I have five children Phillip. Two I am mother to, Sleipnir and Modi. And three that I am father to: Jormungander, Fenrir, and Hella. Only Modi has been allowed to live in the position that he was born to. Sleipnir has been relegated to serving as my father's steed. Jormungander, Fenrir, and Hella were all been banished moments after their birth. Jormungander to Midgard, earning him the title of the Midgard snake. Fenrir to an island where he was chained to the ground for all eternity. Hella to her own realm where she serves as the guardian of the dead."

As though waiting for it, a form suddenly began to gather in front of them. The anaconda bowed it's head low as the form slowly took the form of a young man with shining armor similar to Loki's own. "Father," the man said, bowing his head to Loki.

Loki smiled genuinely. "Jormungandr," he breathed, his eyes taking in the first sight of his son since his birth. He stood and embraced his son while Phil sat there in shock. He hadn't seen his father in twenty years and even though the man before him looked like Loki's twin, he _knew_ that it was his father.

"Father," Phil croaked, also getting up. He noticed out of the corner of his eye the anaconda slither away as an animal control van started up the main street.

Jormungandr reluctantly released his father, but he could not ignore the call of his offspring. He turned to his grown son and he wished that he hadn't been forced to miss his child's development. Though Phil was young in their years, he was an adult in the human world. Jormungandr could see Phillip's mate peeking out from the trailer in curiosity. "Phillip," Jormungandr greeted his son. He then gathered his son into his arms, murmuring to him in Asgardian about how sorry he was that he missed his childhood..

Clint bravely left the safety of the trailer, not so much afraid of the snake or the guy that appeared out of thin air (in SHILED you kind of got used to that) but rather risking Phil's temper. He just couldn't stay in the trailer after seeing his stoic lover practically collapse at the sight of this guy. "Hey Loki, who's that?"

Loki smiled faintly at his grandson's mate. "Clint Barton, meet my son and Phillip's father: Jormungandr Lokison."

The Animal Control van was stopped on the main road by a SHIELD agent and sent on its way when it was confirmed that the snake was gone. The others also joined the small group on the edge of the desert, watching as a father and son were reunited. Very few realized that it was actually two sets of fathers and sons unless you knew how old Loki _really_ was and who Jormungandr was when out of his human guise.

After a couple hours, Jormungandr reluctantly had to leave. He had been missing from his current mortal life for the maximum amount of time before someone would be sent to find him. "And you really don't want our agencies clashing with each other," he warned, looking at his son. That clued Phil into the fact that his father worked for one of the other top secret agencies, but not which one it was. After promising to visit more, he stepped back and seemed to dissolve into the ground.

"So that's another ability he inherited," Loki murmured to himself, adding the ability to cast corporeal illusions to the mental list he had compiled of his son's abilities.

The others seemed to materialize out of thin air after Jormungandr left, shocking Phil that Tony Stark had learned the skill of tact. Naturally, that illusion was ruined the moment he opened his mouth. "So, who was the hot old guy that melted into the ground?"

Only Bruce noticed that Tony seemed tense, reaching out to touch Tony's shoulder in silent support.

Loki smiled thinly at the human that he barely knew. "My son Jormungandr. This is the first time we have seen each other since his birth many years ago."

Tony felt bad for continuing to question the timing of his arrival. "And Agent's involvement in all this?"

Thor couldn't stop the instinct to protect his husband; however he refrained from actually following through. Loki could take care of himself. Thor could still feel the bruises left over from the beating Loki gave him on the bridge to the Bifrost.

Loki was ready to deliver a blistering tirade at Tony but paused when he noticed how Tony was standing just slightly in front of the scientists, shielding Bruce and Jane with his body. Loki exchanged glances with his grandson and couldn't help noticing the look of pride on Phil's face as he saw what Loki had. Tony was coming into his own as a hero.

Phil let Clint wrap an arm around his shoulder and pull him close. "He's my father," he said quietly. "Today is the first time I have seen him since I was twenty."

Tony felt like an ass for asking, but he needed to protect his people. And over the last week, this ragtag band of scientists became his people. Literally in Banner's case as soon as Tony managed to convince the guy to sign the papers on his desk in the trailer assigned to him. Tony just gave Agent a nod and began herding the scientists back towards the trailers. "Come on kids, time for lunch."

Loki allowed himself to be led back to their trailer by his husband, his mind thinking over the morning's events. He truly should not be surprised that his son could find a way around his banishment, but he was. Loki could not help but wonder if he should have been searching for his children on Midgard after their banishment. And now that his senses were opened by the meeting with his second eldest, he could feel traces of Fenrir's magic as well. He resolved to follow that trace as soon as his family was released from SHIELD's protective custody. Once inside the trailer, he changed into a reasonable facsimile of the suit he had worn when visiting his husband during Thor's banishment and capture by SHIELD. He did not even bother trying to hide the smile at the sight of his husband in a tight shirt and the pants the humans called 'jeans'. It had been some time since Loki saw his husband in such casual attire.

"How do I look Mother?" Modi asked, tugging on the sleeve of Loki's jacket.

Loki looked down and smiled warmly at his son. Modi was dressed similarly to his father in jeans and a shirt that Loki suspected came from either Phillip's mate or the man of iron. It featured some sort of reference that Loki did not understand, but he was sure it made the men laugh. "You look very handsome Modi," he assured his son. Modi grinned and took Loki's hand to lead him towards the diner. Thor followed closely, his eyes glued to the form of his husband, wanting to insure with his own eyes that Loki was truly there and not still floating in the abyss.

Once they were inside the diner, Modi grinned widely and dragged his mother over to the side of the dark haired young woman Loki vaguely recognized as Jane's friend. "Lady Darcy," Modi announced loudly, "it is my pleasure to introduce you to my mother, Prince Consort Loki Odinson."

Loki could not hide the wince at being referred to as Odinson, it was his married name so he could not change it even if he resented his 'father' for his lies. He hid the pain quickly and bowed over Lady Darcy's outstretched hand in a gesture of respect. "Lady Darcy, my thanks to you for your care of my son while the others worked," he said genuinely.

Darcy grinned at Loki, she could totally see what big blonde saw in him. Loki was hot, and head over heels for Thor, she could tell from the way that Loki never quite took his eyes off of his husband. Fortunately for Loki, Thor was doing the same. "No prob Loki," she said sincerely. "Moki's a good kid, and he kept me out of everyone's hair more than I did for him."

Modi's grin widened at the sight of his favorite human lady bonding with his mother. Once his mother let Lady Darcy's hand go, Modi dragged him over to his other favorite human. "And," he said importantly, "Mother, this is Doctor Bruce Banner. He can shape-shift also," Modi whispered to his mother in their native tongue.

Dr. Banner surprised Loki when he stood and bowed slightly to the Prince. "I know we have just met, but I am glad that you were found quickly."

Loki smiled slightly, sensing a lonely soul within the gentle man in front of him. "Thank you Doctor. I see that Modi continues to be a good judge of character," he mused, eyes widening slightly when Dr. Banner blushed and sat quickly. His eyebrow rose when Lady Darcy immediately put a hand on the man's arm and inquired about his mood. However, he could not spend any more time with them because Modi detached himself from his mother's grip and sat between the two humans, already digging into the plate of food in front of him. Loki shook his head slightly, amused as ever at his son's lack of manners. He got that from Thor, Loki thought. Loki was then escorted over to the table with his grandson, his mate, the man of iron, and the Lady Jane by his husband.

Thankfully, someone was intelligent enough to leave two open chairs between the man of iron and Phillip's mate while the Lady Jane sat between the man of iron and Phillip. Thor pulled out Loki's chair and guided his husband into the chair before taking his seat. Loki may be a man, but it was drilled into both of their heads as children that their spouse was to be sat first before sitting.

Izzy personally brought over a plate of pancakes over to the group and sat them before Loki. "Here you go hun," she said warmly. "Thor told me that you don't eat as much as him and Modi, but if you were as lost as he said, then you could use all the food I can give you. So eat up hun," she finished. "Just let me know when you want more, or something else." She gave him a motherly pat on the cheek before nodding for a waitress to serve the others.

Loki looked blankly at his grandson. "She's motherly," Phil offered dryly.

Thor laughed uproariously at his nephew's child's joke and began sneaking items from his own plate that he knew his husband enjoyed. Loki ate so little some days that it was all that Thor could do make sure that he was fed.

As the Asgardians ate, Tony and Phil tossed pointed barbs at each other with familiarity. It was obvious that this was something they did often and enjoyed it. Not too long after the meal began, Tony's phone chirped with a familiar tune to Phil's ears. His head whipped around to look at Tony as the man began typing frantically on his latest edition Stark Phone. "Agent, SHIELD will be getting a call from Stark Industries in a little bit. Our long range Ice Exploration facilities have discovered something," he said absently, swiping across the screen causing Phil's phone to chirp. Before Phil could reach for it, Clint already had it out and in front of Phil on the table. Phil sent his lover an absent smile as he unlocked it and stared at the file blankly.

"Are they sure?" he asked, not wanting to believe it.

Tony scoffed. "They checked twice before alerting me. Some of them have been on this project for generations. They are _not_ going to half-ass it."

"What's going on?" Banner suddenly asked from behind Loki.

"A...family project just came to fruition," Tony hedged. "I can't say more than that at the moment. Sign the papers and you can know a bit more," he offered with a smile. Bruce just chuckled and moved back to his seat. Tony pouted spectacularly, ignoring the chuckle from the archer in front of him. "Not a word Legolas," he threatened playfully.

"Ooh, what are we threatening Clint about now?" Natasha Romanoff asked as she sauntered into the diner and straddled a chair from a neighboring table.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Tony sputtered, backing up slightly from the woman. He still had nightmares about the woman sticking him with something unknown back during the Palladium crisis.

"SHIELD wants Coulson in the field while they dig the artifact out of the ice. Director Fury says it's a reward," she said with a smirk. Coulson just blushed faintly and nodded at his asset before standing up.

"Thor, Loki, this is Agent Natasha Romanoff. She will be overseeing the packing up of the base camp and find the three of you some identification so you can remain," Phil said as he put the phone away in his pocket. Clint began grabbing anything that was theirs in the vicinity to be put back in Coulson's bags. If Fury didn't ask for him specifically, that meant that he would be remaining behind, and if that tune meant what he thought it did, then he was okay with that. This was Phil's thing, and possibly Stark's if he decided to get involved.

"Go on Agent," Tony said with a hand wave. "I'll keep the kids company until they're all set."

Phil gave Tony a look. "Which company are you avoiding having a meeting with now?" he asked with a forced patient tone.

Tony grimaced but was beaten to the answer. "HammerTech. They're still fighting over who has the right to modify the War Hammer suit," Natasha said.

"It's my suit, Rhodey stole it and let that hack touch it," Tony snapped. Natasha refrained from commenting that Rhodes had access to the suit or else there was no way in hell it was going to run for him. "I'm still flushing out bugs from when Vanko had it."

Phil just shook his head and left Natasha to play babysitter. Between his grandfather, Natasha, and possibly Banner, Tony and Thor should be kept contained until the newcomers had identities. As Phil finished up his packing, a projection of his grandfather's shimmered into existance next to him.

"Were you going to say good-bye?" he asked lightly.

Phil smiled at his grandfather. "Of course," he answered just as lightly. "It's just...this is something I've been waiting for since I was a child. And I have been granted the gift of overseeing this in person." Loki just nodded and took a chance to hug his grandchild.

"Be safe," Loki whispered before dissolving the projection.

"You too," Phil whispered in return to the empty air. He then shook it off and rushed outside, he had a helicopter to meet.

XxXxX

The next afternoon found the group minus their borrowed personnel from SHIELD and The Thing who had been picked up by his team the night before.

During breakfast, Clint had asked Thor and Loki if they wished to be known as a married couple or as simply brothers for their new identities. Thor, surprising Loki, had immediately stated that they were to be known as husbands. Loki, for his part, could not hide the slight shock he felt at that. Thor had called him brother for so long that even the oaf still referred to him as that rather than his husband. Loki could not suppress the rush of affection that overwhelmed him as he thought of Thor, even as he called him an oaf in his head.

By lunchtime, Natasha had somehow summoned identification for the family that was not only legal but also extensive. "Donald and Thomas Selvig," Natasha intoned calmly, handing over driver's licenses to Thor and Loki. "Donald is the only child of Erik Selvig's distant cousin from Norway, Thomas his childhood sweetheart turned husband. Here is your marriage certificate from Massachusetts after immigrating to America. Here is your commitment certificate from that small village. It's all here, birth certificates for all three of you, applications to become American citizens. Thomas' adoption papers for Modi, I kept his name the same because it would be too hard for him to remember a different one." She then handed a folder of paperwork to Loki so they could look at it later.

Once the food arrived, they all decided to worry about work later and just enjoy the meal for the time being. However, near the end of the meal, a phone call interrupted Tony from the latest in a countless string of cups of coffee. "Stark," he said after a strange look flashed over his face at the caller id. "What are doing calling me Lex? Wanting to gloat at how better your team's presentation went than mine? I knew I shouldn't have sent that low of a flunky. Maybe I should have-wait, Clark? Why are you calling me on Lex's phone?" He paled and made grabby hands at Natasha. "_Starkpad_," he hissed when she just looked at him in confusion. When one was handed to him, he didn't pay those at the table any more attention.

"Oh my God," Jane breathed, looking up from her own Starkpad. When everyone's eyes moved to her, she turned it to the room so they could see. A collapsed building was being live streamed from the Daily Planet Online website with a headline that read "Gotham City Convention Center bombed". Natasha started cursing in Russian and pulled out her phone to call SHIELD.

"I do not understand," Thor said, looking aghast at the image of the collapsed building.

Jane waved the two Asgardians over to the other table so they wouldn't bother Tony as he obviously started some sort of response to the disaster as he consoled whoever was on the other side of the phone. "There was a technological conference going on in this building this weekend," she said quietly. At the confused faces, she remembered that she would probably have to explain more than usual. "It's a big meeting between different companies about what they have accomplished over the last year."

Bruce took over at that point. "Tony usually goes to show off new advances in his clean energy projects and his mobile products," he gestured to the Starkpad as he spoke. "Other companies that are supposed to be there are HammerTech, trying to salvage their reputation after the founder went to prison. Wayne Enterprises are usually there discussing their new medical advances as well as new body armor and armor for vehicles for the military. LexCorp usually does their bit on biochemistry and how what they do could be used in tandem with other companies' inventions. Queen Enterprises, I actually don't know what the hell Queen Enterprises does," Bruce confessed, looking at Jane for help. She just shook her head in reply.

Darcy continued when it was obvious that the other two were overwhelmed. "There are a lot of villains in that city," she whispered. "Like, a _lot_. They all go up against one hero, Batman. I don't follow his fights that closely, but I do follow Bruce Wayne on Twitter. He posts a lot about the clean up efforts after whatever madman of the week does. Judging by the destruction, I guess the Joker."

Bruce shook his head. "It's not the Joker." He reached over to the Starkpad and zoomed in on the picture on the screen. It was barely visible, but once zoomed, the shock of green hair and makeup was obvious. As was the look of shock and fear on the face as the man studied each person being rescued from the building. "He's looking for someone, I'll bet it's the Batman. I think Batman was in the building." As the others looked at him in confusion he elaborated. "Batman isn't on scene, he's always on scene within a few minutes whenever something like this happens. So, logically, he must have been in the building when it was bombed."

"Look," Thor said, watching a red and gold blur arrive on scene and begin sorting rubble. The others looked to the table where Tony had been sitting only to find an empty chair. "That is the Man of Iron, is it not?"

Natasha reentered the restaurant, grumbling under her breath about 'that fucking Stark' nearly running her over in his haste to get his suit on and into the sky. She looked at the others, immediately noticing the looks on their faces. "What's wrong?"

Jane immediately turned the Starkpad towards her. "Tony's in Gotham." That sent off another round of cursing from the red-head, causing her to make another set of calls to SHIELD.

Thor seemed to be vibrating in his seat and Loki stilled him with a touch to the arm. "No Husband," he whispered. "You do not know the lay of the land and could offer comfort to the very villain that did this. Let them deal with it," he soothed. On the screen, Tony pull a bald young man out of the wreckage, a man in an ill-fitting suit hovering by their side. Loki sucked in a sharp breath as he caught sight of the bald young man, there was something about him...something familiar. He was brought out of his thoughts by Modi begging Clint for another archery lesson. Loki took a deep breath, held it for a moment, then let it out in order to center his magic. There was nothing he could do to help those poor souls trapped under the rubble at the moment, so he would allow himself to enjoy the time with his family and Thor's friends who were slowly becoming his own. He was free of the abyss, had reunited with his love and reconnected with his eldest banished child. He was not yet okay, but he would be.

The End

A/N: Okay guys, I have at least two to three more stories planned in this universe. As you can see, I have decided to include some DC Comics characters. Most of them will be based off of their Smallville characterizations, but I warn you now, it will be 'Rift-what-Rift'. Mainly because I only own S1 of Smallville and will be working with their pre-Rift characterizations in _Up, Up, and Away_ anyway.

As for why it took so long for me to update, long story short, I got a new computer last September and I absolutely fell in love with the current (Word 2014) version of Word that was on it. However, it was a trial so it expired roughly around the time I last updated. And seeing as I couldn't afford a new copy of Word, I fell behind in updating and working on my stories. I apologize for taking so long to get an update to you guys, especially since a found a freeware word processor that can handle .docx documents. Hope this makes up for even a little bit of the wait. I should have something ready to also update on my normal updating days next month, including a new chapter for _Up, Up, and Away_.


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